Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Greetings,

I’m trying to start a local online car listing site where I can go around to auto dealers and shoot a one minute video of their cars with one of their salespeople talking about it and telling what a great deal it is. This way people who hate to go looking for cars at car lots can check out cars at this site without any threat of pressure. There are many different Auto listings sites but none use videos yet, at least in my town. I know how to set it up the website and shoot the videos, but I can’t seem to find any models of others doing this type of site. I’ve set up http://www.BestSpokaneCarDealer.com but this is just a FREE Bonus to land one big dealership for my interior cleaning service. One good dealership is worth $2000 to $3000 a month. Any ideas of other info would be of great value.

Thank You,
Jason Hatchett

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Interesting idea, Jason. If it gets really popular, you're going to have to figure out how to keep bandwidth charges to a neat budget - or find a way of getting cheap hosting for the videos. I'm not quite sure what the solution for this might be.

Margaret

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Unfortunately...

It looks like Hot Swap didn't read my post in the following thread...

Here's just one Idea... It's a Free service... But... Twist the idea into a Paid & Localized concept... :)

Can't survive if your Money making plans are weak and growing in too many places too fast...
http://www.sowpub.com/forum/showthre...hlight=hotswap

If you Google around you'll Find all kinds of business models and ideas, some related, some Not...

But it still may Give you some food for thought...

Regarding Margaret's mention of bandwidth charges...

Tie-in your Concept and run it off You Tube and other Video directories...

A few Quick picks...

http://www.webtvwire.com/videocarlot...for-web-video/
http://dealers.dealerdex.com/the-dir...e-annotations/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/109767...pot_on_google/
http://www.howcast.com/videos/9393-I...m-a-Car-Dealer
http://www.faniq.com/video/Local-Car...ports_featured
http://www.localna8ion.com/selling-o...o-car-dealers/
http://www.truveo.com/tag/used%20car%20dealer
http://www.mefeedia.com/entry/2-of-4...m-ads/7294254/

Phil

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

I have seen ebay listing with video (so check ebay).

You may have to get a dedicated server with high bandwidth or charge depending on the bandwidth used.

Or you could just offer to do the video and let them worry about hosting etc.

Or get a hosting partner that can handle that side of the business and let you worry about the video production.

One thing that you should do is perfect the video so it look great. Not something a typical car salesperson could do or they would do it themselves.

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Hi Jason,

I'm not certain I understand you fully. Do you want to give a dealer the site as long as he signs for your interior detailing services?

If so, keep in mind that a 1 minute vid will take 2 hours of your time from start to completion (From coordinating the shoot to being live on the site).
You state that yoyu are offering 3-5 per week included in the FREE package.

That is 40 hours/month you could be cleaning cars getting paid instead of cheating yourself by giving away free services just to keep a dealership secured.

We all trade time for money in whatever we do, so might I suggest, you would have alot less headaches if you simply offered you interior services, for 25%($22.50) less than the $30 you are offering now. Why give away 1/4 of your profitable hours to producing vids that are not your you are best at?.

If you are good at cleaning auto interiors, do it! It is likely that you have it down to a science and you would be better off charging the lower rate ($22.50) at your specialty than it would be to try to introduce something that will land you the account at a higher rate but sacrafice quality-time-and PROFIT by fooling around with something new simply to sell the service you are good at?

Does this make scense?
If I misunderstood your model, please let me know.

Thanks,
Jason

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Jason,

I'm not sure where your coming up with your time frame. I've already done 6 vid's for one of my dealers (a friend of mine) it took me less than 2 hours from start to finnish, so really no big deal. youtube is great place to host them, no cost, plenty of space. I don't want high production vid's. I want it to look like the people are right there and the salesman is showing the car.

Thanks everyone for your input,
Jason Hatchett

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

Thanks for the questions Jason,

I would find it hard to believe that you could take a call from a sales manager, go shoot 6 1 minute spots, then edit and make them live on the site all in the 2 hours you have said.
However,I don't question your ability, so if you can do this all in 2 hours, maybe your calling isn't detailing cars?????
Perhaps, your time would be better spent delivering 1 minute videos to regional auto dealerships for $30/ with a min of 5/visit.
Heck $150 for 2 hours from start to finish ain't bad.
4 dealers in the same town could produce a gross of $600/ day, 5 towns per week can generate $3k per week vs. the $3K a month you hope for cleaning cars.

My point is this Jason: Do something and specialize in it, if you want to be a jack of all trades, you will be nothing more than a laborer worth nothing more than the lowest bidder is wlling to work for!

If you are dead set on offering this service, wouldn't a professional vid service be more efficient at delivering quality vids that you, the detailer? By this I imply you could clean 3 cars or $90 in an hour, while the vid may take you the same hour. To hire someone to shoot the vids may cost $90. Given that you just got your vids for free as you freed up your time to clean cars instead of shooting free vids(which you cost you $90?) The chance that the quality of the shooters work will be better is great as that is what they do, vs your profession of making autos look new.

I'm certain that Phil can point to an appropriate thread on the art of time
leverage in this forum as well as accross the net.

Make scence or no?
Jason

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

I think it would be a good idea to keep the salesman OUT of the picture.

Ideally, to focus on just the car while starting it up and letting it idle throughout the clip.

I would also look into potential up-sells. Maybe something like color CAR VIDEO business cards to sell each dealer for their Salesman to grab and write their name on and pass out for referrals.

That also offer some sort of a free report on the back like 'How to Buy a New or Used Car and Win!' for prospects to visit the car video site and enter their email address to receive. Which allow the dealer (or you too) to follow-up.

I really like the idea of promoting a combination of online and offline marketing to the more traditional offline dealers and merchants (see below). And have put some short videos together that didn't much time shoot or edit (especially if you go with just a slideshow). Though transferring the video can waste a lot of time if you're not careful.

Good luck,

Rod

Re: Auto Dealer Video Listings
 

I was in contact with an auto salesperson Chris Hanson awhile ago. His blog is pretty interesting

www.followupforsuccess.com

He has some impressive credentials in auto sales. One tool he uses is video email to follow up with prospects. I heard one of his customer came to his house to clear his driveway of snow. Most salespeople do not get that kind of loyalty.

He sends the prospect a video email which is personalized (including a car walk-around) for each person. It is all in his blog.

Now I live in Canada and Mr. Hanson is in the US but he took the time to send me a video email when he knows I will probably never buy a car from him. I cannot get type of service from the person I bought my car from!